But then again, as is usually the case, whoever is on top of Polian's board will be drafted, no matter of the position.

I wouldn't necessarily want him to stay a situational pass rusher. But Freeney won't last forever. Whenever he gets hurt the defense takes a huge hit. It would be nice to have someone to replace Brock that can actually get after the QB.

I wouldn't necessarily want him to stay a situational pass rusher. But Freeney won't last forever. Whenever he gets hurt the defense takes a huge hit. It would be nice to have someone to replace Brock that can actually get after the QB.

With the departure of Marcus Howard, gone are the tweener days of a one trick pony pass rusher. With Coyer's system, an emphasis will be on a DE that is bulky enough to contain the run at the end position and quick enough to rush the passer when not double teamed. Freeney is not a spring chicken at this point in his career to be played every down and Mathis will wear out over the course of the year if he plays most downs too.

Did Greg Hardy declare? I thought he was going to return for the senior season. Another guy with upside is Greg Romeus of Pittsburgh.

It almost seems like Polian reaches for an OL (Ugoh, Pollak etc.) and probably feels he can do with non-elite talent at the OL or DT position. AJ & Muir are from the Titans and Packers practice squads. Jeff Saturday - UDFA, Kyle Devan - UDFA, Ryan Lilja (free agency, I think).

I give him credit for finding useful OLs later in the draft like Ryan Diem, Charlie Johnson and Jake Scott (the one who should not have gotten away). Unless a highly touted OG like Iupati drops to us, I doubt BP goes OL in round 1. Another guy I really like is Jon Asamoah of Illinois - 5.06 40 from a guy weighing 315 lbs, that is the kind of athlete I like.

I still think BP goes pass rusher with his first pick but if we trade down, I can see him going for Jon Asamoah at the top of the 2nd or something like that. Another OT prospect I would love for Polian to look at is Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin.

I have no idea why I am thinking this, and there is really no basis for it, but everytime I see Javier Arenas I want him as a Colt. Upgrade the return game, would be a good nickel back (or at least get Tim Jennings off the field), what do you guys think?

I have no idea why I am thinking this, and there is really no basis for it, but everytime I see Javier Arenas I want him as a Colt. Upgrade the return game, would be a good nickel back (or at least get Tim Jennings off the field), what do you guys think?

He is great value in the 2nd round, just not as a 1st rounder, IMO.

My mock, based on BP's tendencies, would go like this:

BP trades down to the top of the 2nd round and gets and extra 2nd & 4th in exchange for our 1st round pick.

I'm fairly certain Hardy is a senior. Also, he would only be situational while he learned to play in the NFL. He is bigger than either Mathis or Freeney and is similar in size to Brock. He's just faster and has actual pass rushing skills.

He has injury concerns, and apparently some character issues that may or may not have been blown out of proportion. All things that a good personnel guy and his staff should work through first.

I don't actually think Hardy will be available to us, but if he is I'd be fine with the Colts taking him.

I actually feel great about this draft because we don't have any positions of excruciating weakness (like we did last year with DT for so much of the year), and there is so much depth to the talent. We could get some really good players this year.

I don't care for the idea of drafting someone like Arenas. We have Hayden, Powers, Jackson, and Lacey. Jackson is not an unrestricted FA next year and has been hurt too much to worry about another team offering him much. So IMO CB should not be a high priority and should only be taken if that player is far and away the BPA.

It's time to talk about the needs. Obviously, Free Agency will effect our needs, but for now I'll just base this on the current roster.

My list would be:

1. OG
It's interesting that arguably our 2 best rushing games were the last two games of the season. Our Line definitely saved their best effort for last. With that being said, I don't think that either Pollak or Devan are our long-term solutions at guard. I still think that this is our biggest weakness.

2. UT
First, let me just first say that Johnson, Muir and Foster have been very good finds for Polian. Johnson and Muir do a fine job of clogging up the middle and making the RBs have to make extra cuts and forcing them to go to the outside where our fast DBs and LBs can chase them down. Foster is a fine rotation player, who has a good motor and provides energy when he doesn't have to play a lot of snaps. With that being said, we generate virtually no pass-rush from the inside. This has been a problem for a while and it again manifested itself yesterday. Brees was able to step up in the pocket with ease.

3. OT
This one might come as a surprise to some, but in all honesty, I'm actually hoping that we can get a stud OT in the first round simply because this seems like the deepest position in the draft. I can live with Charlie Johnson. He isn't a franchise LT, but he is a capable player. He's one of those guys that gets the most out of his abilities. It would be great if Ugoh would develop, but that doesn't look likely.

4. DB
I'm sure that lots of Colts' fans will blame our SB loss on our secondary. Although they were FAR from great, I don't think it's fair to just lay the full blame on these guys. Colts' coaching staff decided to take the deep play away from the Saints and make them win it the patient way, which is exactly what they did. Our Corners were giving a big cushion the whole game, but that was by design. With that being said, we need more depth here, both at CB and Safety. It doesn't help that several of our starters will hit free agency soon and we'll probably have to make some tough decisions.

5. DE
I think the whole nation saw yesterday just how much a healthy Dwight Freeney means to our defense. He was going well in the first quarter, but then that ankle really started to bother him. You could tell it was a big problem for him. He had it taped and re-taped numerous times. Unless I'm mistaken, we had Dawson and Brock play at DE for a big part of the game. No disrespect to those guys, but we are in trouble when we have to rely on them. DE is arguably our most important position. That's the position that is counted on to make the majority of big plays, whether it's sacks, forced fumbles, tackles for loss or pressures that cause errant passes. We clearly need more depth here. I'm not saying that it's a must for us to find another Freeney or Mathis, but someone that can substitute them on occasion and play well could really help.

EDIT: I know that we have a separate thread for rosters/needs, but since we rely HEAVILY on the draft when it comes to addressing our needs, this is an appropriate thread for this imo.

My reasoning: DEs and CBs are game changers, OTs and OGs are not, unless they are the elite kind, and that could be why Polian mostly goes for a DE or CB earlier, or a skill position player.

Round 1 first option: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan (too much reliance on bad backup depth on DL, where there is a lot of rotation, Keyunta Dawson should not sniff a SB DL lineup, can't settle for such situations since Freeney and Mathis have been banged up on and off the last 3 years). Brandon Graham had a great Senior Bowl but may be rising draft boards now and may not be available to us but you never know, he will be an instant backup and a starter in a few years from now.

Round 1 second option: Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers - Excellent zone coverage corner, capable of man coverage, good closing speed, good run support and tackling - I like all that I am reading about him. Here are a couple of interesting reads about him:

Round 4 second option: A.J.Edds, OLB, Iowa (very good instincts, plays very well in coverage and space, compares to Ben Lieber of the Vikings)

Round 5: Kendrick Lewis, FS, Ole Miss (one of the sleepers of the draft, with Bethea's contract looming and Aaron francisco as his depth, I'd like better depth, we are set at strong safety with Bullitt backing up Sanders but if we lose Bethea, our ball hawking suffers big time and Kendrick Lewis is a good roaming safety)

1. OG
It's interesting that arguably our 2 best rushing games were the last two games of the season. Our Line definitely saved their best effort for last. With that being said, I don't think that either Pollak or Devan are our long-term solutions at guard. I still think that this is our biggest weakness.

Lilja's return has been really big for the team and I really felt he should have been named to the Pro Bowl this year. He is the team's best run blocker by some distance (and probably second only to Saturday as a pass blocker). The problem with only focusing on Guard as the problems in our run game is letting Johnson, Saturday and Diem off the hook. I would say Charlie Johnson (while a decent pass blocker) is a major liability in run blocking (think Dallas Clark style liability in run blocking), while both Saturday and Diem don't have the pace to set the edge (and Saturday doesn't have the physicality to handle the bigger interior linemen). A lot of the problem with the O-Line isn't just in the players but in the scheme and mentality of the Offense. If we bring in better run blockers then we lose some of Manning's protection. Long term, the team need to target Left Tackle, Right Tackle, Center and Guard, starting probably with the two Tackles. I would stake a lot on saying that when it came to Run Blocking Kyle DeVan vastly outperformed Charlie Johnson.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxV

2. UT
First, let me just first say that Johnson, Muir and Foster have been very good finds for Polian. Johnson and Muir do a fine job of clogging up the middle and making the RBs have to make extra cuts and forcing them to go to the outside where our fast DBs and LBs can chase them down. Foster is a fine rotation player, who has a good motor and provides energy when he doesn't have to play a lot of snaps. With that being said, we generate virtually no pass-rush from the inside. This has been a problem for a while and it again manifested itself yesterday. Brees was able to step up in the pocket with ease.

I can't see it. If the team take a DT it will be to play Nose as both Mookie and Dan Muir's contracts are both up at the end of the year. We got good play out of Foster this year but there was a noticable drop off in Raheem Brock's play this year (in both stopping the run and rushing the passer) while Moala did very little this year. That being said the team have Foster and Brock to rotate (possibly even Dawson) and will hope for Moala to contribute more next season. I can't see them investing another high pick just because Moala had a bad rookie campaign.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxV

3. OT
This one might come as a surprise to some, but in all honesty, I'm actually hoping that we can get a stud OT in the first round simply because this seems like the deepest position in the draft. I can live with Charlie Johnson. He isn't a franchise LT, but he is a capable player. He's one of those guys that gets the most out of his abilities. It would be great if Ugoh would develop, but that doesn't look likely.

As I said above I think Johnson has been decent. He hasn't been brilliant, he has simply been an improvment (in the passing game at least) on Tony Ugoh. We need a Franchise LT, especially as Manning enters the twilight of his career and for a post-Manning era. The fact of the matter is that Johnson is a liability in run blocking, and gave up the most sacks, the most hits and the most pressures in the team this year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxV

4. DB

I'm sure that lots of Colts' fans will blame our SB loss on our secondary. Although they were FAR from great, I don't think it's fair to just lay the full blame on these guys. Colts' coaching staff decided to take the deep play away from the Saints and make them win it the patient way, which is exactly what they did. Our Corners were giving a big cushion the whole game, but that was by design. With that being said, we need more depth here, both at CB and Safety. It doesn't help that several of our starters will hit free agency soon and we'll probably have to make some tough decisions.[/quote]

With Bethea, Bullitt, Jackson and Jennings all hitting Free Agency this offseason I can see the DBs being addressed in the draft. We will take Safety early on if we don't resign Bethea, who's play this season may have priced him out of what the team were willing to play (he has been to two Pro Bowls in three years), which is either a good measure of Bethea's play or an indictment on the Pro Bowl. We have our starting Corners in Hayden and Powers and our Nickle in Lacey. But both Hayden and Powers were hurt at times this year and so I could see us adding another Corner in the draft (and possibly another through UDFA). We will replace Safeties if we lose them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxV

5. DE
I think the whole nation saw yesterday just how much a healthy Dwight Freeney means to our defense. He was going well in the first quarter, but then that ankle really started to bother him. You could tell it was a big problem for him. He had it taped and re-taped numerous times. Unless I'm mistaken, we had Dawson and Brock play at DE for a big part of the game. No disrespect to those guys, but we are in trouble when we have to rely on them. DE is arguably our most important position. That's the position that is counted on to make the majority of big plays, whether it's sacks, forced fumbles, tackles for loss or pressures that cause errant passes. We clearly need more depth here. I'm not saying that it's a must for us to find another Freeney or Mathis, but someone that can substitute them on occasion and play well could really help.

The Tampa 2 is based around 4 positions and the Colts, after Freeney went down, possibly had 1 (and that is arguably as I think Clint Session is a brilliant player but no one is going to mistake him for Derrick Brooks) and arguably didn't have any of them. We need better Defensive End depth but I can't see us addressing it early on as it is massively a luxury pick. Maybe a look at the likes of Jermaine Cunningham from Florida in the later rounds would be a better choice.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Carlin

In Football the object is for the Field General to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the Defence by hitting his Receivers with deadly accuracy, in spite of the Blitz, even if he has to use the Shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack which punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s Defensive Line.

If we bring in better run blockers then we lose some of Manning's protection.

The Saints, with their Pro Bowl guards, just proved to me that you can get adequate protection for a QB even if you are in the 330 lb range. If they can protect Brees, who holds on to the ball a tad longer than Manning, I am sure the Colts can make it work with Manning easily.

The Saints, with their Pro Bowl guards, just proved to me that you can get adequate protection for a QB even if you are in the 330 lb range. If they can protect Brees, who holds on to the ball a tad longer than Manning, I am sure the Colts can make it work with Manning easily.

One of the Saints Guards is an All-Pro and the other is one of the major Offensive Line draft steals of the last couple of years. It is easier said than done to find a player of either Evans or Nicks ability without giving up a significantly high pick, and Polian has already siad he isn't as good at projecting Offensive Line guys as he is other positions. I could see us going for a Guard in the 2nd or 3rd Round this year and he will be bigger than normal but not 330lb. I expect more along the lines of 310, heavier than normal for a Colts Guard but still mobile enough to pick up the Pass Rush and get to the outside and second level on runs.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Carlin

In Football the object is for the Field General to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the Defence by hitting his Receivers with deadly accuracy, in spite of the Blitz, even if he has to use the Shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack which punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s Defensive Line.

Our OLmen aren't even that good in pass protection. I'd say bring in some maulers who can open up running lanes for more than 1 second. It's Manning's quick release that protects him moreso than the OL's pass protection skills.

If Polian is bad at picking OLmen he should have someone else do it. 5 OL picks in the last 3 drafts and they barely get any playing time.

There are a few positions like QB, RB, and WR that I think the Colts can safely ignore unless the value is just unbelievable. Beyond that, depth can be improved across the board. If it were me I would look at OL and DL first but if the Colts selected a high-value LB or DB I wouldn't be too upset.

When your team is already built to win the SB with no major weaknesses you can pick based largely on BPA, which is what Polian likes to say he does anyway.

If we cannot get a UT in this draft, I don't know when we will. Brian Price, Jared Odrick, Tyson Alualu, Geno Atkins, and LaMarr Houston - the first 2 rounds will be loaded with these high motor talents and we need that presence in the middle to push the pocket.

There is also several talented OTs in this draft. Although there is no chance of Anthony Davis falling to us.

O-Line should definitely be a priority for this draft. I will be disappointed if Polian and Caldwell decide to leave the O-Line as it is. We can definitely upgrade it.

More play-makers on D are also needed and in all 3 parts (DL, LB and secondary).

Do we have a lot of urgent needs? No. But we do have several positions where upgrades could be made and we also have several starters that could potentially be leaving.

You could be right about Davis, I don't have a good feel for where he'll go yet. I think with Polians comments about the OL playing a bad game in the SB would indicate they're going to try to draft OL again. Hopefully it works better this time than last time.

If we come out of this draft with some OL, a DE that can rush the passer, and maybe a KR/PR, it will be a success IMO.

And I agree, a UT in this draft should be possible. There's a ton of that talent.

1st round: Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers (good zone corner, very capable of man coverage, very willing in run support and tackles well, physical in nature and has done returns too) - have a suspicion Brandon Graham and Jason Pierre Paul will be gone by the time we pick at #31

5th round: E.J. Wilson, DE, North Carolina (more bulkier DE than we have had around 289 lbs, might be what we need, can be UT on passing downs too if needed in rotation in case of injuries)

5th round compensatory pick for Hunter Smith: Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh (very good blocking TE that had great pass catching production the previous season and played more blocking TE this last season)

7th round: Andre Neblett, DT, Temple (at 6'0", 297 lbs, is very athletic, played NT in a 3-4 but is way too little to play NT in a 3-4 at the next level, he is being prospected as a 3 technique, along the same lines as Fili Moala and Tyson Alualu who played DE in a 3-4)

Alright, I know I’m going to take some flak for this one but don’t doubt the possibility. There has been increased talk that Bill Polian maybe targeting a Tight End. It makes more sense than targeting another high Defensive Tackle (Polian rarely takes Defensive Tackles high) and drafting someone like Price will basically declare the team are finished with the Moala experiment. Similarly, Polian doesn’t normally draft Offensive Linemen that high (and when he does draft them high it comes back to bite him in the ass, like Ugoh and Pollak). One thing you can normally count on Bill Polian doing with the team’s first round pick is an offensive skill position. The team love playing the two Tight End set. It opens up room in the run game but also provides good pass catching options. Gresham would be a significant upgrade in run blocking compared to Robinson, Santi or Tamme, never mind his unbelievable pass catching skills. Having Gresham would improve the passing ability of the two Tight End set, the play action in the two Tight End set and runs to the left hand side of the two Tight End set, not to mention the ability to spell Clark as he gets older.

Jason Fox may have to move to Right Tackle in the pros but in the mean time we will assess him as a Left Tackle prospect. He has the agility to beat the defender to the edge and has quick, active hands that he uses well to control the defender when he keeps his feet moving. He bends at the knees and has the strength to anchor against the bull-rush, which was a key problem for Tony Ugoh. Fox is a solid pass blocker who reacts efficiently and correctly to the surprising blitz and loop. He will have to prove that he can play Left Tackle and if he can he will be an improvement on Charlie Johnson's pass blocking skills. In run blocking Fox is strong enough to turn his opponent, but isn't a road grader that can consistently drive his opponent off the ball. He is very good at setting the edge and is good at engaging blocks in space. He will be a massive improvement over Charlie Johnson in the run game. Fox is an intelligent, quick Offensive Tackle. He does have some durability concerns but was able to play through a number of injuries in college, which will be a welcome change from Tony Ugoh. Fox may be a year away from becoming a fully fledged starter and so the team should tender Charlie Johnson.

Troop is a very strong player and will be primarily used as a nose tackle. Troop uses a low centre of gravity and thick upper body to gain leverage and is quick and powerful off the snap, penetrating easily against man-up blocks. He can stand his ground against single and double blocks using his girth and strength and is able to get to the ball carrier through a lot of traffic. He is mostly a bull rusher when asked to pass rush but won't be used heavily to next year. With Mookie and Dan Muir's contracts both being up this gives the team the ability to replace them with someone with a hardworking, consistent run stopper.

My biggest problem with Owusu-Ansah is that I have no idea whatsoever has to how to pronounce his name. Owusu-Ansah is a Division II prospect but has the talent to make a number of teams willing the pull the trigger on him. He will do very well in a zone coverage system. He has the speed, burst, size and fluency to excel in the Cover 2. He developed into a bit of a ball hawk at IUP and is a threat to take it to the house on interceptions (scoring two defensive touchdowns on ten interceptions). A big plus for the Colts is that he is a dynamic Return Specialist. Owusu-Ansah scored seven return touchdowns (three kickoff returns and four punt returns) in his college career. Owusu-Ansah would be a big upgrade over Chad Simpson in the return game and will slot in very well as the Dime Cornerback.

Beadles played mostly as at Left Tackle in College but most scouts doubt he has either the height or the athleticism to play Left Tackle in the Pros. He is very good in pass blocking, setting up his blocks quickly, with solid footwork and smooth lateral movement. He has good awareness against Safety and Linebacker blitzes but may struggle against the larger Nose Tackles the NFL have to offer. He isn't solid in run blocking but does have some good tools to use and would be an improvement over Kyle DeVan. He gets very low on his man, helping him to drive his opponent backward. He fits the Colts style of Offensive Linemen, being quick, solid in pass protection and intelligent. He is probably a year or so from contributing in the NFL though as he took the majority of his snaps from the two point stance and will need to adjust.

Pettrey has very good leg strength, making 50+ yard field goals without losing a lot of trajectory because of his height and upright kicking style. He doesn't suffer from a lot of drift on his kicks. He strikes the ball well but will need to speed up his setup at the next level. He has generally been pretty accurate and has made clutch kicks in bowl games.

Batten's work ethic, versatility, strength and hustle endear him to NFL teams and he will provide very good depth and the ability to make plays on Special Teams. Batten has a surprising mixture of speed (he has the second fastest projected 40 time amongst Defensive Ends in the draft), strength and effort. He doesn't have very good pass rushing skills and most of his pressure comes from effort but he will provide good depth at Defensive End, mostly because he is also solid in the run game. He has a strong ability to disengage blocks and can hit his gap with authority.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Carlin

In Football the object is for the Field General to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the Defence by hitting his Receivers with deadly accuracy, in spite of the Blitz, even if he has to use the Shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack which punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s Defensive Line.

Alright, I know I’m going to take some flak for this one but don’t doubt the possibility. There has been increased talk that Bill Polian maybe targeting a Tight End. It makes more sense than targeting another high Defensive Tackle (Polian rarely takes Defensive Tackles high) and drafting someone like Price will basically declare the team are finished with the Moala experiment. Similarly, Polian doesn’t normally draft Offensive Linemen that high (and when he does draft them high it comes back to bite him in the ass, like Ugoh and Pollak). One thing you can normally count on Bill Polian doing with the team’s first round pick is an offensive skill position. The team love playing the two Tight End set. It opens up room in the run game but also provides good pass catching options. Gresham would be a significant upgrade in run blocking compared to Robinson, Santi or Tamme, never mind his unbelievable pass catching skills. Having Gresham would improve the passing ability of the two Tight End set, the play action in the two Tight End set and runs to the left hand side of the two Tight End set, not to mention the ability to spell Clark as he gets older.

Jason Fox may have to move to Right Tackle in the pros but in the mean time we will assess him as a Left Tackle prospect. He has the agility to beat the defender to the edge and has quick, active hands that he uses well to control the defender when he keeps his feet moving. He bends at the knees and has the strength to anchor against the bull-rush, which was a key problem for Tony Ugoh. Fox is a solid pass blocker who reacts efficiently and correctly to the surprising blitz and loop. He will have to prove that he can play Left Tackle and if he can he will be an improvement on Charlie Johnson's pass blocking skills. In run blocking Fox is strong enough to turn his opponent, but isn't a road grader that can consistently drive his opponent off the ball. He is very good at setting the edge and is good at engaging blocks in space. He will be a massive improvement over Charlie Johnson in the run game. Fox is an intelligent, quick Offensive Tackle. He does have some durability concerns but was able to play through a number of injuries in college, which will be a welcome change from Tony Ugoh. Fox may be a year away from becoming a fully fledged starter and so the team should tender Charlie Johnson.

Troop is a very strong player and will be primarily used as a nose tackle. Troop uses a low centre of gravity and thick upper body to gain leverage and is quick and powerful off the snap, penetrating easily against man-up blocks. He can stand his ground against single and double blocks using his girth and strength and is able to get to the ball carrier through a lot of traffic. He is mostly a bull rusher when asked to pass rush but won't be used heavily to next year. With Mookie and Dan Muir's contracts both being up this gives the team the ability to replace them with someone with a hardworking, consistent run stopper.

My biggest problem with Owusu-Ansah is that I have no idea whatsoever has to how to pronounce his name. Owusu-Ansah is a Division II prospect but has the talent to make a number of teams willing the pull the trigger on him. He will do very well in a zone coverage system. He has the speed, burst, size and fluency to excel in the Cover 2. He developed into a bit of a ball hawk at IUP and is a threat to take it to the house on interceptions (scoring two defensive touchdowns on ten interceptions). A big plus for the Colts is that he is a dynamic Return Specialist. Owusu-Ansah scored seven return touchdowns (three kickoff returns and four punt returns) in his college career. Owusu-Ansah would be a big upgrade over Chad Simpson in the return game and will slot in very well as the Dime Cornerback.

Beadles played mostly as at Left Tackle in College but most scouts doubt he has either the height or the athleticism to play Left Tackle in the Pros. He is very good in pass blocking, setting up his blocks quickly, with solid footwork and smooth lateral movement. He has good awareness against Safety and Linebacker blitzes but may struggle against the larger Nose Tackles the NFL have to offer. He isn't solid in run blocking but does have some good tools to use and would be an improvement over Kyle DeVan. He gets very low on his man, helping him to drive his opponent backward. He fits the Colts style of Offensive Linemen, being quick, solid in pass protection and intelligent. He is probably a year or so from contributing in the NFL though as he took the majority of his snaps from the two point stance and will need to adjust.

Pettrey has very good leg strength, making 50+ yard field goals without losing a lot of trajectory because of his height and upright kicking style. He doesn't suffer from a lot of drift on his kicks. He strikes the ball well but will need to speed up his setup at the next level. He has generally been pretty accurate and has made clutch kicks in bowl games.

Batten's work ethic, versatility, strength and hustle endear him to NFL teams and he will provide very good depth and the ability to make plays on Special Teams. Batten has a surprising mixture of speed (he has the second fastest projected 40 time amongst Defensive Ends in the draft), strength and effort. He doesn't have very good pass rushing skills and most of his pressure comes from effort but he will provide good depth at Defensive End, mostly because he is also solid in the run game. He has a strong ability to disengage blocks and can hit his gap with authority.

I do not think Gresham will be available at No.31, either the Patriots (due to Ben Watson's uncertainty or declining TE production) or the Ravens (due to Todd Heap's age) will pull the trigger on him. If he does fall, it is a no brainer to me but I just do not think it will happen. Second, the kind of DT the Colts need is the pass rushing disruptive kind, a UT - like a Brian Price, Jared Odrick, Tyson Alualu, Geno Atkins, not another run stopping NT kind unless that NT has ungodly pass rush skills. I highly doubt that both AJ & Muir will be gone since Polian will offer good tenders for both of them, and surprisingly, run stopping was not our issue last year, pass rush from the DT position was our issue. Plus, Fili Moala that we are developing was also assessed to be more of a run stopper than pass rusher though he was drafted to be UT in our system (his pick was a head scratcher to me). So, we do not need another DT that is a run stopper early in the draft, I can see one later in the draft or an UDFA, just not the first 4 rounds, I see more of the pass rushing UT in the first few rounds.

If we had played balanced offensive teams like the Chargers in full strength in the playoffs, chances are, we don't get past them due to our pass rush deficiency in the middle.

I am surprised you have Polian picking up no linebacker on day 2. With Wheeler being just average and Hagler not getting through a season uninjured, our weakside LB corp does need help.

I do not think Gresham will be available at No.31, either the Patriots (due to Ben Watson's uncertainty or declining TE production) or the Ravens (due to Todd Heap's age) will pull the trigger on him. If he does fall, it is a no brainer to me but I just do not think it will happen.

I really can't see the Patriots going for Gresham. Patriots have needs at RB, WR, multiple O-Line positions, 5 Tech, NT, ILB, rush LB and CB. TE would be a luxury pick for them. I also think the Ravens have more pressing needs to address, especially at WR, and there is a good chance that they will hold off and not take Gresham.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chad72

Second, the kind of DT the Colts need is the pass rushing disruptive kind, a UT - like a Brian Price, Jared Odrick, Tyson Alualu, Geno Atkins, not another run stopping NT kind unless that NT has ungodly pass rush skills. I highly doubt that both AJ & Muir will be gone since Polian will offer good tenders for both of them, and surprisingly, run stopping was not our issue last year, pass rush from the DT position was our issue. Plus, Fili Moala that we are developing was also assessed to be more of a run stopper than pass rusher though he was drafted to be UT in our system (his pick was a head scratcher to me). So, we do not need another DT that is a run stopper early in the draft, I can see one later in the draft or an UDFA, just not the first 4 rounds, I see more of the pass rushing UT in the first few rounds.

When you draft a Defensive Tackle in the top 2 rounds you expect him to be able to do a bit of both. Moala rotated a lot on passing downs, spelling Eric Foster. His future with the team is at 3 Tech, not at Nose. And I just think that if we take a high 3 Tech, and resign both Mookie and Muir, then where does Moala get his snaps in? With Foster, Mookie, Muir, the new Rookie, as well as Brock and Dawson taking some snaps at DT, where does Fili Moala get his playing time. I think that if we draft a player in the top 2 rounds then we are basically saying that we are giving up on Moala. The fact of the matter remains that while we were much improved in run defense this season we were still 24th in the league in yards, mid table in yards per carry and 20th in runs giving up for first downs. We upgraded the run defense but lets not claim that there isn't significant room for improvment. I think we can improve our interior pass rush I just don't think Polian is going to move on it this year. He is going to give Moala another year.

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Originally Posted by chad72

"If we had played balanced offensive teams like the Chargers in full strength in the playoffs, chances are, we don't get past them due to our pass rush deficiency in the middle."

I agree that we need to improve the interior pass rush. I just don't think we are going to do it this year. Also it isn't the balanced offenses that cause problems with no interior rush. It is the teams with smart Quarterbacks who know to step up into the pocket, like say Drew Brees.

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Originally Posted by chad72

I am surprised you have Polian picking up no linebacker on day 2. With Wheeler being just average and Hagler not getting through a season uninjured, our weakside LB corp does need help.

Well firstly Hagler and Wheeler are Strongside Linebackers, not Weakside. Secondly I think Wheeler played pretty well in Hagler's absence. Thirdly, the SAM linebacker position is a relatively junior position for the Colts. The Colts took 1328 defensive snaps last season, and there was a SAM linebacker on the field for 720 of those snaps. So the SAMs only took about 55% of the snaps. I think between Hagler and a former third round pick that we have enough for a position taking 55% of the defensive snaps.

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Originally Posted by George Carlin

In Football the object is for the Field General to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the Defence by hitting his Receivers with deadly accuracy, in spite of the Blitz, even if he has to use the Shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack which punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s Defensive Line.

I REALLY want one of Bruce Campbell, Jason Fox, Jared Veldheer, Rodger Saffold or Jon Asamoah to be Colt. Maybe even multiple of those.

There was some talk on PFW.com (I think that's where it was anyway) that the Colts might be trending away from the smaller, quicker linemen that they've gone after in the past. That was supposedly Mudd's preference, and now that he's gone we supposedly might see some bigger guards. I threw in enough qualifying words there, didn't I? No idea if any of that is true, but I hope so.

I really can't see the Patriots going for Gresham. Patriots have needs at RB, WR, multiple O-Line positions, 5 Tech, NT, ILB, rush LB and CB. TE would be a luxury pick for them. I also think the Ravens have more pressing needs to address, especially at WR, and there is a good chance that they will hold off and not take Gresham.

Well, the Bengals need TE help too, let us not forget them. Yes, a TE is a luxury pick for the Pats, I agree but I wouldn't put it past them. With the way teams are cutting key players left and right, if Ben Watson is cut, it changes the equation totally for the Pats. I just do not see the Ravens sticking with Todd Heap either. Good WRs like Blair White or Jordan Shipley would be there for the Ravens in round 2 but there are only a few real good TEs that can block and catch, and Greisham is one of them.

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Originally Posted by Seamus2602

When you draft a Defensive Tackle in the top 2 rounds you expect him to be able to do a bit of both. Moala rotated a lot on passing downs, spelling Eric Foster. His future with the team is at 3 Tech, not at Nose. And I just think that if we take a high 3 Tech, and resign both Mookie and Muir, then where does Moala get his snaps in? With Foster, Mookie, Muir, the new Rookie, as well as Brock and Dawson taking some snaps at DT, where does Fili Moala get his playing time. I think that if we draft a player in the top 2 rounds then we are basically saying that we are giving up on Moala. The fact of the matter remains that while we were much improved in run defense this season we were still 24th in the league in yards, mid table in yards per carry and 20th in runs giving up for first downs. We upgraded the run defense but lets not claim that there isn't significant room for improvment. I think we can improve our interior pass rush I just don't think Polian is going to move on it this year. He is going to give Moala another year.

My feeling is that with Brackett's contract being front loaded in an uncapped year and Brock and Dawson not being effective, both Brock and Dawson could be gone. This increases the need for a quality disruptive 3-technique UT, no two ways about it. Besides, this is one of the best drafts for that kind of UT, Polian would be stupid to not draft a UT on day 1 with possibly Alualu and Atkins around when he picks in round 2. Moala couldn't crack our starting lineup and was prospected more as a run stuffer than interior pass rusher which I think is his ceiling, that is why with the workouts that Atkins has had in the Senior Bowl and combine, I would love to have him in our DT rotation for the interior pass rush. Enough of the ones who cannot get it done with Foster, Brock and Dawson, we need just one of them. I seriously think Polian should trade down and get more picks in return for our 1st round pick since the elite LTs will be gone by No.31 unless we trade up. We can also get an extra top of the 2nd and 4th for our 1st.

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Originally Posted by Seamus2602

Well firstly Hagler and Wheeler are Strongside Linebackers, not Weakside. Secondly I think Wheeler played pretty well in Hagler's absence. Thirdly, the SAM linebacker position is a relatively junior position for the Colts. The Colts took 1328 defensive snaps last season, and there was a SAM linebacker on the field for 720 of those snaps. So the SAMs only took about 55% of the snaps. I think between Hagler and a former third round pick that we have enough for a position taking 55% of the defensive snaps.

I agree with this. We might still go the UDFA route for our LBs.

Here is a mock I have somewhat settled on after the combine drills:

This draft should be a draft where we either trade up or trade down. If Brackett’s contract is going to be front loaded for this uncapped year (which it will be), I do anticipate a lot of cuts to keep costs down for next year in case it is capped, so it is best to do with draft picks.

Maybe Brock, Dawson, Wheeler will all be gone along with the expected Jennings, Rushing, Baskett. I am not impressed with the play of any of them. It saves money, gets rid of underachieving players for what they are paid, and by trading down, we can get an extra pick, IMO (maybe an extra 2nd & 4th – top 10 kind for our 1st).

Along those lines, I’d like these players:

Round 1 (Polian trades down to the top of the 2nd round in exchange for pick No.38 and pick No.102)

Round 2 early pick (No.38) – Vladimir Ducasse, OT, Massachussetts (has all the tools you need for an RT, can play RG too, all good LT prospects will be gone unless we trade up, so it is best to get our RT prospect first, Diem can only play RT and is not athletic enough to play any other position, so the right side may need to be addressed faster than people think, DeVan or Pollak are not the future at RG, IMO)

I'm glad that someone else has Atkins, I really want him as a Colt now, big time. To be honest I wouldnt really know enough from seeing game tape to be able to draft too many rounds. But I really want us to fi the trenches, if an OT drops to us out of the big 4 (Williams, Bulaga, Okung, Davis) I would love that, but it wont happen so I would suggest a guard in RD 1 (Iupati if there, else Ducasse), and then Atkins in Rd 2.